|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2023 9:07 am
’Rain’ was an understatement. The skies had opened up and they hadn’t stopped. When Morgan picked Casey up that morning, he’d come with coffee and breakfast burritos–neither of which he made, but he’d stopped on the way over. They’d had enough time to eat with Ariel, who kept an eye on Harrison until Morgan picked her up on the way back to the park but somehow convinced Ariel to have a ride to his work, too.
There were a hundred reasons why Ariel should have refused, but he’d said yes before his brain could remind him. Morgan hadn’t asked why he always seemed to try to disappear when they were in public, but they’d had a full conversation on the way to Ariel’s office. A bit about Harrison, and how cute she’d been wearing her new bow–and the pajamas Morgan had dropped her off in last night. It was chilly!
They’d talked about Casey a bit. A lot. Morgan almost guessed it might have been Ariel’s favorite topic, but he supposed it was because it was someone they had in common.
Morgan was at the park until a weather advisory demanded he make sure everyone was out. The park had been slow for the most part, anyway; in this weather, no one really wanted to be out. He didn’t blame them. He and Harrison stayed cooped up inside for a while.
Ariel texted that he got out of work early because the storm was so bad that it knocked out power to the building. He’d gotten on the bus and made it home. The weather was so bad that the buses stopped running an hour before Casey was supposed to get out of work, so Morgan dropped Harrison off with Ariel and went to go pick him up.
He’d left early to be there on time; some of the roads were flooded so badly that he had to reroute. His phone was clipped to his air-vent so he could keep an eye on any emergency notifications, but he was a safe driver.
Admittedly, he was a little surprised that he hadn’t gotten a request to help from either the fire department or the city, but it just meant that he could take his time making sure Casey got home first. He parked as close to the door as he could, and already had a towel sitting out on the dashboard. Even if it was a short walk from the building to his car, the wind was gusting so badly that it seemed impossible to make it even a few feet without getting drenched. His headlights and hazards were on, but visibility was still low. His windshield wipers were off. The backseat smelled like pizza because he’d asked Ariel to order some to pick up on the way over. Power was probably going to go out at the apartments, so better to have warm food ready, and better not to have a dog in the backseat with it. She’d be better off with Ariel, who was hurrying to get what supplies he could. Ariel was definitely spending the night at Casey’s. He didn’t have many candles or extra phone chargers, but whatever he had was going to have to be enough.
…He was just hoping that Morgan could get Casey home safely.
Which, of course, Morgan had promised.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2023 10:32 am
There was a part of Casey that dreaded seeing Ariel and Morgan. Especially after being worn down for the past three days. He was tired. He was hungry. His emotions were frazzled. He was sore and in pain from the physical work he had to do for over thirty-six hours in the past three days.
He had the next day off. He doubted he would be very good company. And he was afraid that Ariel and Morgan would decide that he wasn’t all that fun to be around, or that he had too much baggage, or that he complained too much, or that he just wasn’t good enough for any number of reasons.
Casey was grateful, of course! He wasn’t used to having people take care of him when it had been him and Harrison and no one else. He knew there wasn’t much he could do to repay Ariel and Morgan for their kindness other than offering to cook for them. But he didn’t know how much energy he had to do more than collapse somewhere and try not to cry.
He did his best not to get wet when he was finally allowed to clock out and ran to Morgan’s car. He tried to get in without letting too much water in with him, but still felt like he was a drowned rat by the time he shut the door behind him.
His heart was doing anxious pitter patters, and although he really just felt like slumping into the seat and curling up into a ball, he forced a smile at Morgan.
He was happy to see him! Now if only he could make sure Morgan didn’t regret helping him, and Ariel didn’t regret wasting so much time and energy on him.
“Is that pizza??” he gasped as he glanced over to the back, and grabbed the towel when he was certain Morgan intended it for him. “Oh, thank you, you’re so thoughtful. Holy smokes, it’s so crazy out there! Thank you for picking me up. I wasn’t looking forward to having to walk!” he laughed. He was good at making sure his laughs sounded genuine. Laughing frequently meant he was pretty good at matching the sound even when he was miserable.
“How’s your day been? Probably very wet,” he groaned, but grinned to show he was joking. “Sorry for getting your car all wet.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2023 8:07 pm
Casey looked exhausted. He smiled, but Morgan wondered how much energy it had taken. He laughed, but Morgan found himself thinking the same thing.
“Very wet. Car’s fine, though, don’t worry about it. I’ve taken a hose to this thing and you wouldn’t know it. Gonna have to do that again to get rid of all the mud I’ve dragged in after today.”
Morgan’s hair was damp and stuck close to his face. Even if he’d toweled off a bit and put on a jacket to try and keep warm, he hadn’t made much of an effort to totally dry off. He was just going to get wet again when he got out of the car. With Casey in, he turned on the heat to keep him warm, at least.
“The power’s probably going to go out at your apartment soon if it’s not already. I talked to Ariel and he ordered the pizza, I’m just doing delivery.” He turned the headlights on and seemed to be getting settled in and ready to drive. “You can just relax. We can turn on the music, you can nap. Whatever you need, I don’t mind.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2023 8:18 pm
”What? I wouldn’t nap! I’d rather talk to you.”
And that was true. He would rather talk to Morgan. He wanted to make sure Morgan didn’t think he was taking advantage of him or being ungrateful or anything like that.
Ariel too. Who was so wonderful and thoughtful and sweet to think about ordering pizza.
“Just doing delivery?” Casey tilted his head in confusion as he tried to soak up at least some of the water that dripped from his hair. “You’re going to stay for dinner, yeah? You might as well, at least until the weather clears up. Oh, or I guess unless you need to do something else.”
He wanted to be around Morgan and Ariel. He just hoped they continued wanting to be around him too.
But he did smile genuinely, albeit tiredly, as he looked Morgan over. “You look pretty handsome all wet like that.” A pause. A grimace. “Don’t take that the wrong way,” he practically sputtered. “You already do, just… you know. Like wet teeshirt contests. Not. That I’m. Um… That’s not what I meant just… the closest analogy.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2023 8:32 pm
Morgan laughed. Soft, never more than a little burst of mirth. He didn’t ever know what to expect from Casey but he found that he often enjoyed whatever thought that slipped out.
“Thank you. I really will have to get you that calendar. We had an April showers theme. Though I don’t think I was wearing a shirt for half of the pictures.” Morgan wasn’t vain. He was in shape, and he probably would have been far more attractive if he smiled more often. His natural expression was typically off putting and unapproachable, but he didn’t mind. It saved him from having a lot of unnecessary conversations.
The car didn’t seem to want to move when he first stepped on the gas, like it was voicing protest even as it started rolling forward. He wasn’t worried; he knew his car very well, and within a matter of seconds the slow roll had moved into actual driving. He was going to take it easy and get them back safely.
“I’m not quite on call, but I let my coworkers know that if they need anything, I’ll be there. For now, I’ve been told to go home and stay safe. The roads are getting a little bad, though. I’m sure I’ll be able to make it home just fine but I don’t know if this rain is going to ease up for a few hours. Hopefully all those updates to the city’s drainage system will get this water out of here. The good news is, I don’t think I have to worry about any fires. Bad news, everything else.”
He shrugged. “I’ve got a duffel bag with dry clothes and necessities, so if I have to camp out somewhere until things blow over, I’ll be fine. I’m going to see how bad the roads are back to my place while we’re getting you home and I’ll figure things out from there. I might ask to borrow your couch, if it’s not intruding, but we’ll see. I know you must be exhausted and looking forward to just spending some time at home, I don’t want you to feel like you have to play host.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2023 8:38 pm
“No shirt?” Casey sputtered. He could feel his cheeks burn and he laughed to distract from that. Well… if he wasn’t sold on wanting a calendar before (he was), he definitely wanted one now.
For… science… or whatever else people used as excuses these days.
Casey was grateful that Morgan was okay with talking though. It gave him some time to catch his breath and rest heavily against his seat. He felt a little bad about getting it wet, but he was going to try very hard not to doze off with the rain coming down and Morgan talking about spending the night.
“Oh, I don’t mind at all! I like the company!” He did. He didn’t like being alone. He was just worried about messing things up. “You wouldn’t be intruding at all. I’ve already offered my couch to you. And I would be worried if you were out in this weather after being so thoughtful and coming to get me,” he explained, his adrenaline from running through the rain wearing down.
He just hoped he didn’t start slurring his words or something equally ridiculous.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2023 8:47 pm
Morgan didn’t take his eyes off the road as he drove, but he could still make out just enough of Casey’s movement in the seat next to him to get an idea of how he was doing. “I couldn’t let you walk home in this. If the water didn’t sweep you away, you might get sick. And that’s no way to spend your day off.”
He turned the heat on in the car, just on low. Nothing overwhelming, but enough to make sure that Casey didn't catch a chill. He anticipated a longer drive home than normal, but he was going to be safe. The pizza would stay warm; it probably would have even if he hadn’t wrapped it in a mylar sheet.
He’d see how the weather was, and if there was anything that was going to force him out into the storm, but he’d already found comfort in the idea of spending the night at Casey’s. Ariel had already voiced concern for him being out in this weather, but it was sweet to see how much he cared about Casey’s well-being.
And, flattering to see how much he trusted Morgan.
It was in his nature to want to help people, but selfishly he found that he also liked the idea of getting to play rescuer for them.
“Do you have any plans for tomorrow or are you just going to see how things go?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2023 9:01 pm
“I guess it depends on if the power is out or not,” Casey sighed. “Maybe hide under blankets with Harrison if it’s too cold. Make sure Ariel remembers to eat,” he sighed again, a little more dramatically. Not that he wanted to make Morgan think Ariel couldn’t look after himself! But Casey knew Ariel tended to get distracted by other things. And for good reason.
“Are you going to have to go back to the park to make sure everything’s okay there?” he asked, using the towel on his lap a little as a blanket, even if it was wet. He felt gross and squishy in his damp clothes, but soon they’d be home where everyone could get into dry clothes.
Casey normally would have been worried about driving in a storm like this, but Morgan seemed to know what he was doing, so he had absolute faith in him. It was a little scary, but Morgan already promised he wouldn’t let anything happen to him. And for some reason, it was easy for Casey to believe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2023 9:12 pm
“Only if there’s an emergency. It seems like everyone had everything under control so far so I’m being advised to stay out for now. My car’s been through worse so I’m not worried and me getting back and forth. I closed the gates when I left so I’m not worried about anyone trying to get in and take a walk in this weather, and I’m technically off. Might go in to help clean up, we’ll see. I don’t really have hobbies that aren’t work related. But I suppose I’m lucky in that I like my job. Speaking of, I got some information about other positions. They’re not officially open yet but I can get you in for an interview as soon as they get their end of year financials in order.”
He was quiet for a few seconds as he made a slow turn. Water splashed up against the window but he was still taking it slow and careful. “Not that I want you to be thinking about work again so soon.”
He reached behind him and groped in the backseat without taking his eyes off the road. Morgan knew his car well; atop a duffel bag was a discarded sweater. He grabbed it and passed it over to Casey to use instead of just a wet towel.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2023 5:49 pm
Casey glanced up at Morgan again, his breath catching in his throat. He felt ridiculous for having such a reaction to something that was just normal conversation, and something that Morgan already told him he was going to do, but having information about another job was… well… it was such a relief to think he might have a chance to do something different.
And then Morgan was so nice to give him his sweater to keep warm with.
“No, it’s okay I… thank you. That would be so amazing. I mean… obviously I’d have to interview and that’s okay, I understand that. I just…”
He was so tired. Not just physically but he could feel himself emotionally wearing down over the last few days, on top of everything else. He tried breathing normally so his emotions wouldn’t give him trouble, but everything felt like it was crumbling around him.
End of the year financials… so maybe not until January. He didn’t know if he could hold on for that long, but he would do his best.
Just as he would do his best not to start crying into the sweater as he hid his face in it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2023 7:18 pm
“You’ll get the job,” Morgan said suddenly, confidently. Not just because he intended to pull every string he had available to him and needle everyone until Casey got something, but because he had faith in Casey.
He worked so hard. He put so much of himself into all of it. Retail didn’t deserve him. He’d hardly even had to look at Casey to see how tired he was. More than just work, it was probably the emotional toll wearing him down. He’d heard bits and pieces about how busy the work does.
Morgan probably would have been fired for not playing nice with the customers, or even less so, insufferable coworkers.
The rain continued to fall but Morgan knew his way around the city. Another turn off to a side road to avoid the river of water.
“And if there’s anything I can do between now and then, you let me know.”
He didn’t know if Casey would take him up on it, but the offer was there and he meant it.
“Even if it’s just helping you make sure Ariel eats. Or making sure you get home safely. Do you want to nap a bit while we drive? I don’t mind. You can save your energy for when we get back to your apartment.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 6:22 pm
Casey wanted to nap. He wondered if Morgan knew since he’d already suggested it before. And maybe Morgan needed to be able to focus on the roads, rather than on a conversation.
He felt like crying again. Morgan was so confident in him, and Casey didn’t know what he did to deserve that, but it was so nice for him, and Ariel, to believe in him.
And Morgan sounded so sure that he would get the job that Casey almost wanted to joke about quitting his current one. But… he couldn’t do that. He had some savings, but that was only for emergencies. He couldn’t risk not being able to feed Harrison. Oh, or himself.
“Okay,” he said quietly, finally. The sweater was so soft and warm that it was hard for him to not close his eyes. So he did, and he used the sweater as a bit of a blanket as he leaned his head back. “Thank you, Morgan.”
And if there was any water on his face, well… it was raining pretty hard.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
